43 of the 45 elected members quit GTA

day after GJM chief Bimal Gurung reportedly said that all-party political alliance formed to spearhead the movement for separate Gorkhaland was over, Gurung called a news conference at his residence in Patleybas on Friday.

Gurung, who surfaced for the first time since police raid at his residence on June 15, said, “Forty-three of the total 45 elected members of the GTA have resigned and will submit their resignation to the GTA principal secretary on Saturday and I’ll fax my resignation to the West Bengal Governor.”

The press meet lasted for about 15 minutes, before his guards escorted him out of the area.

Alliance partners had resolved that GJM members of the GTA will resign from the semi-autonomous body. “From today, we as ordinary members of the GJM, will carry on the fight for Gorkhaland along with our alliance partners. By resigning, we have scrapped the GTA and, on June 27, we will burn the copy of the GTA Act and the tripartite agreement signed on July 11, 2011,” Gurung said. The next all-party meeting has been rescheduled for June 29, he added.

Asked about possibility of talks with the Centre, he said, “We have an one-point agenda of Gorkhaland and will not hold talks on anything other than that.” On participating in the GTA elections due shortly, he said, “We’ll not let the state government hold the elections.”